UNITED States President Barack Obama and vice-president Joe Biden were moved to a secure location yesterday when a small plane strayed into restricted airspace triggering a brief evacuation of parts of the White House and the US Congress.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security said: "Proper procedures were followed. The pilot was compliant."
Two F-16 fighter jets and two Coast Guard helicopters were dispatched and intercepted the plane, making contact with the pilot
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An official at the Federal Aviation Administration said the plane, a single engine Cessna, later landed at a Washington-area airport without incident.
The security scare spurred the Secret Service to temporarily clear the north lawn in front of the White House. The Senate went into a brief recess.
Workers were also evacuated briefly from the House of Representatives side of the building.
Mr Obama and Mr Biden were moved during the incident "out of an abundance of caution" White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. An "all clear" signal was given by police within minutes, and lawmakers and staff returned to Senate floor.
After the hijacked plane attacks of 11 September, 2001, officials have tightened up security and increased the area of restricted airspace around Washington DC.
There have been several incidents since then of small planes breaching the area's security.
Jim Manley, spokesman for Senator Harry Reid, the leader of the Senate's Democratic majority, said the Capitol's alert level was briefly elevated but quickly returned to normal.
